Move over, gummy bears—Swedish candy has entered the chat. In case you missed the memo, Swedish candy has been having a moment as of late. No, not the Swedish Fish you like to grab at the grocery store (though rest assured, those are Swedish, too!). I’m talking about all sorts (and shapes and flavors) of gummy candies straight from Sweden.
It all started, as most viral products do, on TikTok. Over the past year or so, videos began circulating of people doing taste tests and hauls of their colorful candies, tearing a watermelon shape apart with their teeth or biting into a soft candy shaped like a soda bottle. To date, more than 5,000 videos on TikTok exist with the hashtag #swedishcandy. Aesthetically, Swedish candy—scattered across your feeds now, too, I’m sure—hit different. Rather than your single-color-and-flavor American drugstore gummies, these are often a fusion of colors, or engulfed in sugar crystals; some that will make your lips pucker from the sourness, others offering warmer flavors with a sweeter bite.
As FYPs adjusted, businesses saw an uptick in sales; there are now many Swedish gummy vendors with notices on their sites alerting customers to delayed shipping times due to increased demand.
But why the sudden interest not just in gummies, but in gummies from the other side of the world? Leo Schaltz, co-founder (and self-proclaimed “Director of Fun”) of New York-based Swedish candy store BonBon, first points to algorithms: “There’s definitely the argument that the TikTok algorithm is real,” he says. “It really is laser-sharp in targeting the ‘right’ people who are likely to A) like candy, and B) buy candy online.” The virality of the product has even caused BonBon’s online sales to go from about 20 a day to around 1,000. They’re now seeing literal lines down the block at their three locations in New York City (a significant bump from months prior).
And yeah, besides the terrifying accuracy of certain influential platforms’ algorithms, there also simply is a notable difference in quality between Swedish candy and candy (gummies especially) made here in the States. Most of the kinds of Swedish candies that are currently viral are free of dyes and artificial flavors, using natural coloring and aromas instead; many, though not all, are vegan, using cornstarch instead of gelatin; and they’re also gluten free. Sukker Baby, another Swedish candy company here in the US, claims that “most of our candy is free of trans fats, genetically modified organisms and high fructose corn syrup, and uses only natural colours.” Where American candy products like peach rings and Sour Patch Kids are loaded with vague, Red Dye 40-y ingredients, Swedish gummies tend to be made with higher quality ingredients (which, given the higher standards for ingredients overseas—with the European Union even banning a number of additives found in food products here in the US—makes sense).
Schaltz notes this quality difference is present in the candy’s texture, pointing to a brand called Bubs that sells a gummy-marshmallow hybrid, giving the chewiness of a marshmallow with the softer aspect of a gummy. “It’s just a better product,” Schaltz concludes. TL;DR: It’s aesthetic, but it also just…tastes better than most pretty, edible, and viral trends usually do.
This wouldn’t be the first time Americans have taken cues from the Scandinavians before in the world of make-your-life-better habits (see: the Danish concept of hygge). Not only does this candy come from Sweden, but it’s also a weekly ritual for Swedes to go to the candy store after school on Fridays to then enjoy their candy on Saturdays, in what’s known as lördagsgodis (Saturday candy). So I think it’s safe to say this newfound obsession is just another step for us Americans to adopt the Scandinavian lifestyle, which I can’t say I’m mad about. And on top of that, for those who are doing their candy shopping in-store instead of online, “When presented in a warm and fun environment with a cute bag, it definitely invokes feelings of nostalgia and childhood.” says Schaltz. “We’re all kids at heart—no one wants to be a grown up.”
In a stark contrast to the wellness corners of the internet, the Swedish Candy Movement, as I like to call it, is a more joyous (and more legitimately delicious) one. Life is short, people. Eat the cornstarch-packed candy!! Eat the other shit, too.
